A 51-year-old West Virginia man is facing a DUI charge after a juvenile passenger died in a side-by-side ATV crash Wednesday evening in Cabell County. Michael David Hager, of Barboursville, was charged with DUI causing death following the rollover on Cyrus Creek Road, according to the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash was reported at approximately 5:14 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, when Cabell County 911 received a call about an incident in the 3000 block of Cyrus Creek Road. The location is near U.S. Route 60 East and the Huntington Mall.
Sheriff Doug Adams said preliminary information shows that Hager was operating the side-by-side ATV with a juvenile passenger when the vehicle left the roadway and entered a ditch. It then rolled, killing the passenger.
Investigators are also looking into whether the ATV overcorrected before rolling into another vehicle. Sheriff Adams shared that possibility as part of the preliminary findings, but authorities have not confirmed the full sequence of events.
Hager’s arrest and charge came after the crash claimed the life of the juvenile riding with him. He is now facing a serious charge tied to the passenger’s death. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged DUI.
The identity of the juvenile has not been made public. The sheriff’s office has also withheld the passenger’s age, leaving several important details about the victim undisclosed.
Questions also remain about the other vehicle mentioned in the preliminary investigation. Authorities have not explained what role it may have played in the crash or whether anyone inside it suffered injuries. Investigators are still working to establish exactly how the ATV left the roadway and rolled.
The crash happened on Cyrus Creek Road near U.S. Route 60 East, close to the Huntington Mall in Cabell County, part of the Huntington metropolitan area in western West Virginia. The sheriff’s office has not released further information as the investigation continues.